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Allan Bradbury

On 8th May I received a text from a friend saying to look at page 31 of that day’s Daily Express newspaper. What a pleasant surprise it was to see the article about Allan Bradbury who has been cutting quite a figure ‘up North’, looking very dapper in his Westwood togs.
Perfect for a post I thought, so I put the gears in motion & managed to get in touch with him.

Below is the e-mail that he sent me so I shall let Allan carry on from here apart from to say that I liked a comment he said to a friend who was congratulating him on his ‘fame’, saying ‘today’s news is tomorrows fish & chip paper’ & also that apparently the leather patchwork trousers he is wearing in the newspaper article are reputed to have belonged to Jim Morrison of ‘The Doors’ (WoW). They were flared when he got them so he had them altered to be tapered.
I have also included a comment he made to me regarding the issues raised in Vivienne’s Climate Revolution website ( http://climaterevolution.co.uk/wp/ ) which he had a look at. This is also below…

Take it away Allan…… & Thank you!

I started to dress Westwood style about ten years ago. I came across a grey VW Man label frock coat which appealed to me, labelled Tool hire with some porn font written on the inside, it may have been from early punk days.
The Westwood styles, often asymmetric and somewhat funky, appealed to me because personally, I never actually fit into any box of conformity or mediocrity when it came to my fashion choices. I work as a psychotherapist within the mental health field and often my aim is to help people to rid themselves of the ‘Classical Conditioning’ that they have been taught and to be unafraid and real, often expressing their personality in the way that they choose to dress, this means that they can put aside their fears and be what they choose to be. Yes I was a gunner within the RAF Rgt and a member of the 15 Sqdn parachute team, my role was a machine gunner on the helicopters during the Borneo conflict in 1962- 65. I have had many experiences of that time Ben, too numerous to tell, after all, I was just a young lad from the Lake District and Singapore, Thailand, Malaya and the Maldives were all part of my adventure.
Yes, I have had much reaction to the initial publication in the Daily Express. Today has been spent producing, filming a documentary with third year students from N Wales university which should be completed in about two weeks, the story is about my life and the clothes that I wear, we’re hoping that the finished film has a story with substance and a profound message for those who are less fortunate than myself.
Hope this is what you want; tomorrow I shall don my Westwood gear and strut my stuff in sunny Manchester (No doubt being photographed by some and ridiculed by others)

Regards Appy Allan

Hi Ben, was thinking of my first connection with climate change. About thirty years ago I spoke to an old homesteader in the Dent valley of Cumbria and saw the pain in his face when he told me that his land was ruined with fertilizers because he had to force growth in order to maintain a living, instead of one natural harvest, he had to produce three and he was de-neutralising the worth of the land. This has stayed with me all these years.

Love Love Love … and so true freedom to be who you want and dress how you want. Amazing ! Its about self always and as Alan said some people love some people ridicule and it doesn’t matter be brave i say and express your self

I’m often afraid to dress how I wish because I’m afraid of being ridiculed. This article is really inspiring to me, as a teenager. It’s lovely to see people of all ages embracing themselves through Vivienne’s fashion

I am reminded of Nelson Mandella’s inaugural speach when he siad (Not exact quote) that our being apologetic and subservient does not serve society any purpose whatsoever. What we are afraid of is – is to let ourselves shine, therefore giving others permision to do the same. bless him.

Great story, but why the novelty value just because the guy is the age he is ?? The original punks amongst us, who patronised Viv & Malc’s store, are now in their mid to late 50′s anyway, and this guy isn’t much older than Vivienne herself. In fact, people of this generation have clearly more reason to wear the clothing than the current Footballers Wives brigade, who know very little of the heritage of the design from the 70′s. I am a bit fed up with everyone presuming that older guys need to wear Country Gent styles, when, in fact, they grew up at a time when the most radical fashion for men was ever created and worn !
Now how about focussing your attention on the growing number of people who want a Mountain Hat ?!!! Allan may not know as much as Pharrell
about its origin than Allan, but I bet he’d look cool in one ! xx